On February 20, 2003 the West Virginia Board of Education voted to adopt new science standards developed over the past year. The vote to approve the draft standards without any of the changes proposed by supporters of "intelligent design theory" was unanimous. Evolution features importantly in the new guidelines, which are based on frameworks suggested by the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Several NCSE members became Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 15, 2003. These individuals have been elevated to this rank because of their efforts to advance science or applications of science. New Fellows received their official certificates and gold and blue rosette pins during a ceremony at the annual AAAS meetings in Denver, Colorado.

House Bill 1397, sponsored by Representative Carmel Wells-Smith, was introduced in the Mississippi House of Representatives and referred to the Education Committee on January 20, 2003. On February 4 the bill died in committee when it missed the House's deadline for action. HB 1397 would have required the inclusion of a version of the Alabama evolution disclaimer in every textbook that discusses the subject. Wells-Smith introduced two antievolution bills in the 2002 legislative session, both of which also died in committee.